CitizensFirst Credit UnionDigital Signage Network

How do you create a wow factor in your physical space when the brand you've established is begging to be brought to life but you're nearing the end of your building remodel? …You call in Ark Media Group.

Background

Building a new corporate headquarters and flagship branch is a big deal for any credit union—especially one that has been a pillar in the community for more than 70 years, with more than 30,000 members. The building and interior spaces have to reflect a commitment to the brand repositioning and have to stand out as a prototypical model for years to come.

Thanks to Steve Tyink, Vice President of Business Innovation, and the rest of the team at Miron Construction, and the CitizensFirst team, they created a new personalized banking model and a unique lobby configuration. But Cheryl Kaczmarek, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development, wanted to capitalize on this rare opportunity to infuse the interior space with a strong marketing presence—but it had to be cost-effective, make sense strategically, and create a substantial visual impact. A Digital Signage solution from Ark Media Group fit the bill perfectly.

We were brought in during the late stages of construction, but because our proposal and prototyping process is fast and efficient, we were able to help all of the stakeholders at both CitizensFirst and Miron Construction visualize the impact that Digital Signage installation can create through 3D renderings of potential configurations.

In its final installed state, CitizensFirst's Digital Signage system consists of a single, Quad-screen installation driven by a single CPU with 4 Samsung Pro 46-inch displays acting as one large display matrix, while 2 Samsung Pro 40-inch screens for promotions and community events are each driven by individual CPUs, respectively. Each CPU resides in their secure data closet, and 6 streams of perfectly-synchronized high-definition video are pushed over more than 200 feet of economical CAT5e cabling.

But the hardware—while sophisticated—is just one part of the puzzle. Without quality, engaging content, the screens are just black boxes hung on the walls. Unlike other signage systems, we are able to make these screens earn their keep. By controlling the content and curating it to remain confined to brand tone communication and exclusive events, it never becomes a source of visual or aural noise. We created initial on-screen content that incorporated still photographs and motion graphics into a full-motion video composition running in an endless loop on the quad-screen display matrix.